US Open 2024: Rohan Bapana-Matthew Ebden duo crash out in round of 16

The Indo-Australian pair, who had clinched the 2024 Australian Open, lost 1-6, 5-7 to the 16th-seed Argentine combo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in 66 minutes. 

India's challenge in the men's doubles event of the US Open 2024 ended with the defeat of Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden in the round of 16 stage on Monday. The second-seeded pair lost 1-6, 5-7 to the 16th-seed Argentine combo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in 66 minutes. 

Bopanna and Ebden had started the year with the Australian Open triumph and the pair went on to become No.1 ranked men's doubles pair in the world. The 44-year-old Bopanna has already announced his retirement from Davis Cup and it will be interesting to see if the veteran will return to defend his AO title in January 2025. 

The Argentine pair of Molteni and Gonzalez dominated the proceeding on Court 5, breaking Bopanna and Ebden's serve twice to take the first set 6-1. Although the Indo-Australian duo fought back in the second set, holding the serves to level the score at 5-5, Molteni and Gonzalez upped their game at the pivotal moment, seized the initiative with a stunning backhand volley winner, and thereby secured the crucial break point in the 11th game. The Argentine pair went on to win the second set 7-5. 

Bopanna's challenge is still alive in the mixed doubles event as the Indian will pair up with Indonesia's Aldila Sutjiadi, and interestingly, they will take on Ebden and Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinal stage on Tuesday. Ebden-Krejcikova duo are seeded fourth in the mixed doubles.